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Gujarat State Legal Services Authority Launches First Community Mediation Training for Trading Community
The is giving formal shape to an age-old practice: resolving business disputes through dialogue. For the first time in India, it has brought together mediators from the trading community for structured training under its Community Mediation (Trading Community) Initiative.
The two-day programme, held on at the in Ahmedabad, marked Phase I of the initiative's 40-hour mediation training. Participants came from trade associations, chambers of commerce, Mahajan Mandals and other business organizations.
A First for the Country
The initiative was launched on by Justice Vikram Nath , Judge of the and Executive Chairman of the . It seeks to institutionalize the tradition of amicable dispute settlement that has long existed within trade and business communities.
The training itself was designed in accordance with the , the NALSA Community Mediation Training Module, and the guidelines of the . This legal scaffolding ensures that community mediators are not merely trusted figures, but also trained professionals who understand , and .
Learning the Mediator's Craft
GSLSA's MCPC-trained trainers imparted practical lessons in mediation principles, communication skills, negotiation techniques and community dispute resolution mechanisms. The emphasis was not on formal legal procedure but on building consensus and preserving relationships.
Top Judges Interact with Mediators
The programme received strong judicial backing. Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal of the , Patron-in-Chief of GSLSA, and Justice Alpesh Y. Kogje , Senior Judge of the and Executive Chairman of GSLSA, interacted with the participant-mediators.
The judges stressed that mediation is an effective, and route to resolving disputes—an important alternative to litigation.
Key Observations
The authority was clear about the philosophy behind the programme:
"aims to institutionalize the long-standing tradition of within trade and business communities."
"Emphasis was laid on the importance of mediation as an effective, and mechanism for resolution of disputes."
"Through this initiative, GSLSA seeks to strengthen by encouraging and fostering a culture of dialogue and cooperation across the State."
Building a Culture of Dialogue
By creating a trained cadre of community mediators, the initiative aims to settle commercial disputes at the source, preserve business relationships and reduce avoidable litigation. It also supports ease of doing business by offering a faster, cheaper and less adversarial path than court proceedings.
For the trading community, this means a structured forum where disputes can be resolved without severing ties. For the justice system, it means one more step toward a culture where dialogue, not litigation, is the first resort.
